Shock-absorbing seat support



l J. Y. TURNER SHOCK ABSOHBING SEAT SUPPORT Filed June 20. 1925 2. Sheets-Sheet l Avr-ro api EY May 24, 1927. 1,629,939 J. Y. TURNER SHOCIKl ABSORBING SEAT SUPPORT Filed June 20. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4Z 45, /Qgf lNvEN-r-oa JOHN Y l-uaNaR Patented May 24, 1927.

UNI-TED STATES-' of-FFLQE,

J' OHN Y. TURNER, OF OCEA PARK, CALIFORNIA;

i 1 v sHocx-ABsoRBING s'en'rsurrotr.

Appliation mea :rune 2o; 1925i serialY No: 383536;

As may be inferred' from the above title, my present invention relates particularly to the'supp'ort ofjseats suitable for useJ in-` conveyances; and' it: is .an especial Object of vthis invention to provide resilient means, adapted to be interposedy between the floor of automobiles-or other cars and the bottoms of'seats, in such manner as effectively to absorb shocks that might otherwise'be transmitted to the occupants of said seats. A

In many types of seats currently provided` in automobiles, busses, parler cars for use on railroads, and the like, loose, spiral wire springs, of' a type long used 1n the support' of bed mattresses, are commonly so disposed, beneath seatA cushions, as to enable the latter to yield, under the weight of the occupant, relatively to the backsof said seats,with the resultl that whenever the oar passes across -a rut or bump, the' coat orf other apparel of the occupantv is caused to rubup and. dwn relatively to the backof the seat; and it is aprimary object' of this invention to obviate ythe mentioned rubbing, with its incidental fatigue, wear and'A creasingY effects, by providing suitable shock-abserbing resilient supports vdirectly beneath each seat (which may contain', any

suitable cushions) so` constructed that the,

. backsy and bottoms thereof must j always move together; and preferred embodiments of my invention may comprise piston-like' members vertically guided within housings containing opposed sets yof compression springs, under constant' tension, as hereinafter described.

Other objectslof myinvention, including certain optionalfeatures adapting.v the same tothe support ef either revolving or benchlike seats or facilitating vertical or rotational or other adjustments thereof, may be best understood from the following descripmovements familiar in such revolving chairs as'are commonly providedfor office' use.

Fig. 8VY 1s' a; view comparable to the lower prtion of Fig. 1 but illustrating alternative andvr optional* features hereinafter referred to.'

4* is an elevational view showing one mede of* applying embodiments of my invention to the support of long, bench-like seats, suoli as are suitable to use in busses,`

or the like'. Y

Fig, i's an enlarged detail view', showingy ajtype' of connection suitable for use beneathY such bench-like seats as are illustrat'ed inFig. 4g; c

`Referring to the details of' thatE specilie embodiment; of my invention'illustratedj in Fig, 11" may be the floorof a car and 121` mayv berthe bottom of aE chair-likeI or` other j' seat, withwvhicli a back (net shown) may be rigidly connected, my shock-absorbing supportvl being shown as interposedbetween saidl floor and said seat and as comprising af weight-transmitting postl," carrying, a piston-like v.enlargement or flange 121, below4 which are retained at. plurality of pairs of oppositeljr` disposedy compression' springs 15,

by whieh the'post 1 3 and the seat 12 mayv be 'resili'ently' supported. e l

VAbove the flange or enlargement',14l I`v may secure additinal set of lighter compressionf springs 16, adaptedto check the'` rebound'of the post 13; andthe enlargement 4 `rflange 144 and the mentioned springs may be' secured"in their intended relationships either' by means suchas asubstantially cylindric'al housing 17, or'lby means such` as' bolts`18, shown as extendingbetween a basev plate 19 (integral'with a-securin'g flange'20j)` andan apert'u'ied Cover plate 21,-Vtlie boltsy 18 being shownasprovided with squared hea'ds22, held aga-inst rotation by interfit-v ting within'corresponding apertures 23,' andL thenuts`24, at the upper ends thereof being shown` aspr'ovided with split washers 25,

tending to prevent said ends from working loose. 4

In'this embodiment of my invention, the flange o r enlargement 14 is shown as provided with ample apertures y26, tel permit vertical movement relatively y,to the fixed; b'olts'18m; andeither the enlargementjlll or an upwardly extending cellar 27,011y the cover 21, or both of these, may be emplyed' to hold,"thepst l13, or itsy equivalent, in a substantially upright positioii, or in parallelism with said bolts 18, while permitting a vertical. reci procation thereof.

The upper end of the post 13 may be secured to a chair` or seat bottom in any preferred way, as by means comprising a circular or other plate 28, shown as secured by bolts 29 and as comprising a sleeve or collar 30, adapt-ed to fit over the upper end of said post. As shown, the said post may loptionally be provided with means such as an annular groove 31, in which a screw 32 may project in such manner as to permit relative rotation, although preventing a separation of the mentioned parts; and the upper end of the post 13 may alternatively or additionally be provided with means such as a. circumferential row of apertures 33, engageable by a horizontal pin 34, ladapted not only to prevent separation of parts but to hold the same in any predetermined rotative relationship. As shown, the pin 34 may be longitudinally movable within a guide 35,` vshown as secured by screws 3G, this said guide being adapted to house a spring 37 normally pressing said pin inward; and a reduced extension 38, at the outer end of said pin, may optionally be recurved in such manner as to adapt the same to use in Withdrawing the pin, or in holding the same, as by the engagement indicated in dotted lines, in a withdrawn position.

In Fig. 2 I show a cylindrical housing 17 as secured to a floor by means of screws 39 extending through the flange 20; and I show an upholstered revolving chair body 4() as supported above a plate 28 by means comprising a screw 41. It will be obvious that this screw, whether or not the same is provided with a vertical slot 42, may be used, ina known manner, in predetermining the elevation of the seat 40, and that, assuming the post 13 to be held against relative rotation by means such as are illustrated in Fig.

1 (including bolts 18) and a horizontal pin outwardly terminating in the handle 38, the ,chair upon the post 13 may either be locked in a predetermined position or permitted freely to rotate upon a vertical axis; and means such as a hand wheel 43, connected with adjustable parts well known to the manufacturers of revolving chairs, may 0ptionally be used, in conjunction with the described novel parts, to predetermine the compression of springs tending' resiliently to re- 'sist a tilting movement of the chair body relatively to the screw 41 and the post 13; but it will be understood that the features of invention disclosed in Fig. 1, or their equivalents, may be used either in conjunction with or independently of those features of revolving-chair construction last referred to.

In Fig. 3 I show the iioor 11 as apertured to receive a cylindrical housing 17 integral with a bottom closure 19' carrying the flange 20 at a comparatively high elevation. In this construction, no bolts being employed,

'sthe springs 15' and 16" (any desired number of such springsbeing symmetrically disposed within the housing 17') are shown as held in place by means of projections 18 and/or sockets 18".; and the top member 21' may be retained by means such as a threaded collar 42',-which may be nickel plated in an attractive manner and may serve also as a means for adjusting the tension of the mentioned springs. It will loe obvious that the flange 20', or its equivalent, shown as retained by screws 39', may be secured either above or below a Hoor, or the like;

and relative rotation of the post 13 may be prevented by means such a screw 43 entering a slot 44'. I do not consider it necessary to make the flange 21' adjustable relatively to the cylinder 17'; but, if desired, the enlargement 14 may be threaded on the post 13', to permit longitudinal adjustment (an optional lock nut being shown at 45') and, in any case, a central aperture may be provided, as at 46, Fig. 1, (or 46', Fig. 2) Y to permitl the screw 41 (or 41') when employed, .to'extend through the bottom 19 (or 19 In Figs. 4 and 5 I show a bench-like seat 40c as supported upon a plurality of posts 13c extending from cylinders 17C; and the upper ends of the mentioned posts may optionally be shortened or rounded, as at 49C, Fig. 7, and connected by horizontal pins 34, shown as extending through openings 50c in parallel projecting lugs 30, said openings being of sufficient horizontal diameter to permit some pivotal movement, such as may result from the unequal depression of the respective ends of the seat 40'.

It will be noted that all forms of my in.- vention are suitablefor use with seats comprising a back rigidly connected with a'bottoni and that this invention is suitable for use with a wide variety of seats within the above description; but I emphasize in conclusion the fact thatvarious features of my invention are capable of independent use, and the fact that numerous additional modifications thereof might easily be devised by those skilled in the art to which this case relates, without the slightest departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as the same is indicated above and in the following claim.

I claim as my invention:

A shock-absorbing seat support comprising: a weight-transmitting post provided with means for its attachment beneath a seatand with a piston-like enlargement at its lower end; a plurality of stationary guidebolts extending through said enlargement; a pluraltiy of compression springs disposed beneath said enlargement; an apini ertured plate for holding said post in subinent is' retained,-the mentioned enlargestantial parallelism with said bolts;resilien=t ment, bottom cover and springs being held 1 depressing means disposed above said enin their assembled relationships by said largement; and a housing to enclose said guide bolts.

springs, said housing being provided With In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set a. bottom and `With an apertured cover enmy hand at Los Angeles, California, this gageable by said compression springs, be- 13th day of June 1925.

tween which bottom and cover said enlarge- JOHN Y. TURNER. 

